Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog announced on Friday (Jan 2) that it had arrested 21 individuals suspected of corruption connected to renovation projects at two residential complexes. The arrests come amid an intensified campaign against construction-related corruption following a devastating fire in late November that tore through seven high-rise buildings and claimed more than 160 lives. In response, city leader John Lee established an independent committee last month to examine both the fire and practices within the construction industry, including potential bid manipulation in contract awards.

According to a statement from the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), enforcement actions were carried out last week targeting a triad-linked corruption network involved in building renovations. Those detained include intermediaries, project advisors, contractors, and members of the owners’ corporations from the two estates.

At one housing estate, investigators believe the contractor bribed a project consultant and several owners’ corporation members in order to secure a renovation contract valued at HK$33 million (S$5.44 million). At the other estate, intermediaries allegedly used improper methods to gather proxy authorisation from residents, attempting to influence voting outcomes to obtain future renovation contracts.

The ICAC emphasized that building maintenance directly affects public safety and involves many stakeholders, making it a priority area for corruption enforcement. The two estates involved in the latest operation are located in Kwun Tong in eastern Kowloon and are unrelated to Wang Fuk Court, where the deadly fire erupted on Nov 26.

The agency has already arrested at least 11 people as part of an ongoing investigation into renovation-related corruption at Wang Fuk Court. The tragedy sparked widespread public outrage, and authorities later confirmed that inferior construction materials used during renovation had significantly intensified the blaze, which took nearly two days to extinguish.